Thanks for sticking with me the last couple months as you've patiently waited for the reader survey results (I know you're sitting on the edge of your seat and stuff)! I have FINALLY tallied up all the numbers and some things really surprised me! A big thank you to the 250 participants: you have not only made my year, but you have helped me figure out my reader-base that much more. I am eternally grateful! Let's get started: What is your age? Are you male or female? Where are my male readers?! I do for a fact know I have them! Do I? Where are you from? Also had 2.70% from France, 2.70% from Denmark, 2.70% from Belgium, 2.40% from Sweden, 2.40% from Germany and 26 other countries were listed! Wow! I never realized how broad of an ... Read More
Travel Blogging + Marriage
It's a rainy cold Friday afternoon, and I'm sitting here covered in blankets drinking spiked coffee; just your normal afternoon if you asked me. Some readers may get tricked into thinking I'm living back in the Northern Hemisphere where it is, indeed, almost winter. But nope, I'm sitting here in Spring/Summer New Zealand (which does not at all feel like Christmas) watching the rain change from water to ice…to back to water again. Apparently we had this weather in for us after making the choice to live so far down south, but honestly we weren't even thinking about the weather when we chose this location. My only hope is that it's just the rainy season here and that sunshine and rainbows soon take over this cold mess of a month. We've had ... Read More
LIAL Reader Survey 2014
I mentioned a few posts ago that I am changing Living in Another Language to be a more travel-focused blog. My hope is to encourage, inspire, and help answer questions to those that are interested in life abroad. My readers (hey that's you) are very important to me, and I want to hear from you about what you're interested in. I've been weighing my options and reading the comments on my blog, and I think the best thing for me to do right now is to have a reader survey! 99% of the survey questions below are multiple choice, so it'll take you about two and thirty seconds flat (I did not test this) to complete the form, and I will be eternally grateful! As I see my readership grow, it's harder to know where you all are from, what your ... Read More
The 5 Types of Travel Bloggers
Travel blogging is a tricky industry. I'm realizing there's no cut-and-dry way to travel blog, except for the fact that it's important you get pretty pictures and information out there for readers to wanderlust at. There are solo travelers, couple travelers, and family travelers. There are those that do it for fun and some that do it as a living. But one of my favorite things to figure out while discovering new travel bloggers, is learning what their travel blogging lifestyle is. This can be tricky, especially since the internet allows us to paint pictures of ourselves in basically whatever way we want. Here are the 5 types of travel bloggers I have discovered in my ventures with blogging. In no way, shape, or form are these true ... Read More
Travel Blogging Isn’t for the Faint of Heart
Alternate Title: 'The Daunting Task of Travel Blogging.' Travel Blogging: Braving the obvious obstacle of traveling the world into unfamiliar lands, trying to find internet, and spending those few and far between moments to pump out quality, informational posts for readers; sometimes I'm not sure why we even bother to do it. Travel blogging is one of the most overlooked blogging categories (apparently it wasn't even a good enough category for Bloglovin's annual awards), but I'm hoping that will change as people are starting look more into world awareness, curious to see what's out there beyond the big blue ocean. Sure as an outsider travel blogging may seem super glamorous, but it has it's dark side. Before you consider taking the ... Read More
7 Tips to Help You Grow Your Instagram
Instagram is a social networking powerhouse. Created in October of 2010, it's become one of the most popular social networking companies today. If you haven't started an Instagram account and you're wanting to get serious about building your brand as a travel blogger (or any other kind of blogger), I'd suggest getting on it now. Not only will Instagram bring traffic to your blog, but businesses have been known scout Instagram users to offer opportunities and free stuff ! I know a couple travel bloggers that had media trip opportunities (aka your job is to take pictures and review all aspects of your trip) just because of their Instagram following. My Instagram feed is a constant work in progress, but using these tips below has allowed me ... Read More
Belated Blogiversary
My second year blogiversary hit February 16th. However I was also approaching a very big milestone in the blogging world: 1 million page views. I decided to wait until that hit to celebrate my second year of blogging, and reflect (with a thankful spirit) on how this blog baby of mine his exceeded my expectations by a million (stupid pun intended) within one year of moving to wordpress.org. We hit the 1,000,000 view today! I'm still in shock about how my little travel blog, built to keep my family in touch with us while we're off traveling the world, has turned into such a big network of support. This post is all about you and how you've helped me reach this insane goal. These stats below are as of April 20, 2013-April 22, 2014 (when ... Read More
Blogging 101: When Blogging isn’t Fun Anymore
Trust me. It' happens to the best of us. You'll be typing along in your own merry little world when BAM it hits you. Blogging becomes a chore. Comments have gotten out of control (and maybe even down nasty). Your 'numbers' are taking a nose dive and it seems like no-one really even cares. So why continue blogging? Well here's why. 1. Answer the question: Why did you start blogging in the first place? Odds are you've lost touch with the real reason you started blogging. You've gotten so caught up in the giveaways, the link-ups, the comment driven posts that you've forgotten about what you really wanted to do with your blog. Did you start writing as a way to express what's going on in your life? Were you blogging to help keep in touch with ... Read More
I Need Your Questions!
I don't know about you guys, but I'm slowly, ever slowly crawling out of my Thanksgiving feast stupor. It's pathetic really. Derik and I made our Thanksgiving meal on Sunday and there was not a trace of Korean food to be found on our table. We had ham, mashed potatoes, rolls, creamed corn, and peas. Let's not forget that delicious apple pie we bought from Costco (which I've been munching on religiously the past few days). The stupid thing was, I only ate half a plate. I guess my body isn't used to such 'rich,' 'American' food, and I filled up rather quickly. Queue my husband making fun of me the rest of the night. Believe me, I was equally as shocked. That being said, I'm kicking it into high gear this month (what it's December already), ... Read More
